A customs officer, also known as a customs agent or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, protects the country by enforcing customs, immigration and agriculture laws and regulations at United States ports of entry. Customs officers ensure that a person is complying with the country's regulations of the items he can bring in and that he, himself, is authorized to enter the country.

Entry to the U.S.

As a customs officer at the airport, you work for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a part of Homeland Security. Your job involves inspecting people who arrive in the United States. You ask people arriving in the country questions and inspect their passport and I-94 form, which shows their immigration classification and how long they are allowed to stay. If you decide a person can proceed into the country, you stamp his passport and customs declaration form. If you do not feel he should be permitted to enter the country, you can place the person in detention or on a return flight and cancel his visa.

Bringing Items into the Country

In your job as a customs officer, you are responsible for preventing banned items from entering or leaving the country by checking travelers and their luggage. If you find any illegal items or excessive amounts of currency, you can charge the traveler with a fine or imprisonment. You check their customs documents to see if they are bringing items into the country over the allowance, and collect taxes and duties.

Skills

As a customs officer, you must have strong interpersonal and communication skills. You must know how to remain calm in high-pressure situations, to handle people who are upset, angry and confrontational. You use your judgment in enforcing customs, immigration and agricultural laws. Your job could involve shift work which could include nights, weekends and public holidays.

Education

To work as a customs officer, you must be at least 21 years old and a U.S. citizen. You need at least a high school diploma and at least three years of experience working with the public. As an employee of the federal government, you have to pass a physical examination and a federal security check as well as the Professional and Administrative Career Examination. This job is expected to be in demand through 2016 because of high security requirements at airports.